The Stag
by LunaLuv13
Summary: Lily has a secret, and so does James. This is a classic version of Lily/James Potter stories, but I spiced it up a little. Big cotton candy fluff. Sry bad @ summaries. R R!


The Stag

The Stag  
By: LunaLuv13  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter through law, the books, nor unfortunately sniff, marriage… . Nor do I own any of the characters… pouts You enjoy making me suffer, don't you? :P

The night before there had been a light shower, so dewdrops were on every blade of glass on the castle's grounds. The full moon could still be seen up in the now clear sky. Lily Evans turned away from her four poster bed feeling slightly out of it. Once again, she marveled at how loud Marissa could snore. Feeling disgruntled, Lily groggily wiped the sleep from her eyes and began to dress. It was a cool August morning, so she picked out a white cotton turtleneck and a pair of dark blue jeans from her wardrobe.

After applying mascara and eye shadow to bring out her eyes, Lily decided on only a hint of blush and pale pink lip gloss. She never needed much make-up, but she felt plain walking around with nothing on her face but her eyes, nose and mouth. After making sure she was presentable, Lily looked both ways to make sure that none of the other girls in her dorm were awake yet. All were still asleep of course. It was 7 o'clock on a Saturday morning! Silently, Lily slowly took a small locket necklace in the second drawer of her nightstand from beneath her jewelry box. Slipping it over her head and inside of her shirt, she heard a sound coming from Alice, who was two beds over.

"G'morning Alice!" greeted Lily cheerfully, looking into the dazed eyes of her half-asleep friend.

"Waaaa…" Alice was still quite bleary. "Mmmm. Oh!" she yawned, "Morning Lily. What are you doing up so early? I thought everyone would be asleep at such a timely hour, and on a Saturday at that!"

"Yes, well, I just thought I would take a walk by the lake. The air is so much more refreshing after a late night's drizzle! Care to join me?"

Alice sat up. "No thanks. I think I'll get some more shut eye. I always have this annoying, but quite useful morning satellite in my head. I'll wake up at 7, and if I go back to bed, I won't be up 'till noon! Quite handy for school though. Haven't used an alarm clock in years!" Both girls chuckled.

"What's going on?" asked a bleary eyed Marissa, who was apparently woken by the sound of laughter. She glanced at the clock.

"Blimey! It's only 7:15! What the hell are you two doing up so early on a Saturday!? Don't you know I need my beauty rest?"

"Sorry Mary. Didn't mean to disturb you! You can go back to sleep now." Lily shook her head as Alice tried to restrain giggles from behind Lily's back.

"Yeah, I'd better…" mutter Marissa lying back down with her back toward them. Within seconds, her snoring could have been heard from Brazil.

"And we're clear!" Alice was just as fond of Marissa as the next person, but sometimes Marissa was better left alone. True she was very pretty and likeable, but that was when she was fully awake.

A smiling Lily replied, "Well, I'd best be off. See you at lunch Alice." Alice settled down for more sleep as Lily walked to the common room.

Lily was strolling beside the lake with a piece of toast and one of her school textbooks in hand. Finding a shady spot under a tree much like a peaceful version of the whomping willow, the 6th year Gryffindor sat down and began to read.

She had been there not 5 minutes when a rustling was heard from behind her. Looking up from the second chapter (she was a very fast reader), Lily saw a gorgeous white-blue stag come out from a clump of bushes. It slunk halfway back in when it spotted Lily, apparently unwilling to been seen, but it was too late. The girl put down her book and got up ever so slowly.

Using a light, soft voice, Lily murmured comforting words as she carefully made her way, inch by inch, closer to the beautiful animal. At first the stag looked apprehensive, but after a hesitant moment, the stag seemed to push all uneasy worries about the girl from its mind and allowed Lily to pet it. Lily saw it was a male.

The stag took a step closer to her, closing his eyes and pushing his head into her stroking hand. After another step, it was completely out of the bushes, and Lily gasped in fright. On the hindquarters of the deer-like-mammal, there were two long, deep gashes. They were parallel to each other, and blood was dripping from each wound. The droplets seemed to Lily like mud in the middle of a fresh blanket of snow. The girl's gasp made the Stag take two steps back as he glanced around. Lily reached into her pocket for her wand, and the beast reared back into a defensive pose, but Lily kept her eyes locked with the stag's, and it slowly calmed down.

Cautiously, Lily put her hand right above the injuries, and began to heal them with warm and comforting healing charms. The stag relaxed a little, and allowed it's gashed to be mended. Lily couldn't do everything without potions, but she was able to remove most of the damage. When she was finished, all that was left of the cuts were two small scars.

Seeing Lily was pocketing her wand, the stag suddenly leap up and after turning its head to lock eyes with Lily, he pranced away. The eyes seemed so warm and comforting to Lily. They seemed familiar and mysterious. Lily knew she would never forget those eyes.

Alice and Marissa leaned in toward Lily. Both girls were intent on not missing even one part of her story. It was after dinner, and Lily had dragged her friends to the common room halfway through the meal ranting on about having to say something important. Sitting her friends in a circle in front of the fire-place, Lily began to narrate her adventure.

By this time, Lily was finished with her tale and almost all of the other students had come back to the common room, so Lily had lowered her voice as not to be over-heard. Unfortunately for them, James Potter and his best mate, Sirius Black, were standing not far away, standing behind the pillars that held up the chimney in a casual manner.

"And when I was finished healing its wounds, it just leaped away. It was amazing!" Lily finished up. Both of her friends sat with dropped jaws and wide eyes.

"N-no ways Lily," stammered an awe-struck Alice. "S-stags are r-really, really r-r-rare! Not to m-mention, sh-shy! No one h-has faced a s-stag since, n-n-1968! R-remember w-what Professor B-bins said?"

"Yes I realized that!" Lily brushed away the statement impatiently. "That's what I am trying to figure out! Do you think it was just a coincidence, or maybe it was a message? But then again, why would anyone send a stag to me? What's the point? Maybe it was a trick. I bet Potter's been messing with me. Yes that's it. Boy am I gonna…"

"Hey Lils." James Potter stepped up from behind the pole, as if he had just walked in the room.

"Potter," snapped Lily. "Just the slime-ball I was hoping to see."

James ignored the slime-ball comment. "Me? My Lily-Flower wanted to see me? Did you hear that Sirius?" James hit Sirius' chest to make sure he was paying attention. "This is a first! I shall treasure this moment always Lils!" James put an over-excited look onto his face.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Stop calling me that Potter. Anyways, I will get you back for that confusion charm, Just you wait. You thought I would let you off easy? Well, you have never been so wrong."

James looked offended. Sirius rolled his eyes and when to flirt with a few 7th year girls in the opposite corner of the room. "Why Lily-Flower! Whatever do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me Potter. I know it was you who cast that confusion charm on me to make me think I had seen a stag. Well news flash. I am a lot smarter than you give me credit for, and I will get you back if it is the last thing I do."

James looked delighted. "Oh! So you are chasing after me now? Excellent! Well, wanna get me back tomorrow during our Hogsmead trip? I have been meaning to ask you out anyways so…"

"NO POTTER!" Lily seemed really infuriated now. The students in the common room looked around. When they saw Lily staring lividly into the innocent-looking eyes of James, everyone in the room rolled their eyes and a few packed up there things to go work in the library or dormitories. Everyone knew how loud James and Lily could get.

Comments went around the room.

"Not again."

"You would think they could just get over each other by now, wouldn't you?"

"Who? Them? Naw. James is too stubborn."

"James Potter how DARE you ask me out now of all times! The O.W.L.s exams are coming up soon, and we need to study! Furthermore, you just hexed me and expect me to say yes? It has been six years! SIX! How many times do I have to tell you that I would rather go out with…"

"THE GIANT SQUID! WE KNOW!" The few people left in the common room yelled at the conflicting pair. The last of the annoyed Gryffindors left. Even Alice and Marissa slunk off to their dormitories to play exploding snap. Now James and Lily had the whole room to themselves, and neither noticed.

Lily breathed in deeply. "See? The entire school knows how much I detest you! Can you please leave me alone and we can move on with our lives?" She was crying now. Smooth, silent tears were running down her cheeks.

James looked taken aback. "Lils! Lils I am so sorry! I didn't mean to upset you. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away and backed into the very pillar James and Sirius had been eaves-dropping behind. Her back slid down the smooth marble till she was in a crouching position. "Lily!"

Lily wasn't listening anymore. She leaned forward, and as she did, the locket she was wearing slid from the loose neck of her shirt. James noticed the flash of silver, and was startled. Slowly and hesitantly, in a way that reminded Lily of the stag, James crouched next to her.

"Y-you kept it? I thought you threw it into the lake or something." James took the locket he had given her for her sweet sixteen birthday into his hands. As he did so, Lily looked into his eyes.

"It's one of my most treasured positions. No one knows I still have it. I-I told Alice and Marissa that I gave it to the giant squid." She laughed meekly between her tears.

"But why Lily? Why didn't you tell me?" James expression was a mixture of sadness and relief and happiness and hope, as if he couldn't make up his mind how he should feel.

"Because I didn't want to think I actually fell for you and your corny lines, and your tricks, and you asking me out over other day, and…" she sniffed. "your amazingly good looks, or your adorable grin, or the way you were always so kind and caring, or the way you always make everyone around you smile, or your eyes…" Suddenly, a look of understanding illuminated her face, and to James, it looked like she was glowing. "You were the stag?" Her voice sounded not of questioning, but it sounded like hopefulness, as if she wanted him to be the stag.

James lifted the corner of his shirt, and there were the two small scars. The only remains of the love and caring that Lily had show the stag, or rather, James. He smiled. Lily gasped.

A few moments passed, when the only thing the two did was stare into each other's eyes. Then, simultaneously, they fell into each others' arms. A hug full of compassion and want and love and care and protection. And neither of the two had ever felt safer in their lives.


End file.
